Assignment 2 RESUBMISSION

Section revised is “How the Information is presented”

Article Review of “The Potential for Using SMS to Support Learning and Organisation
in Sub-Saharan Africa”
Stuart Mitchell
EDUC 894-4
David Kaufman
Purpose of Article.

This Article describes the challenges of educational growth and infrastructure

issues, which creates barriers to disseminating educational resources in Kenya. The
different challenges are examined and the proposed solution is the use of SMS (text)
communications with a focus on the teacher and admin of the school.

Main Points of Article.

Phones that are capable of SMS are well-supported and very common in Kenya,
much more so than computers or smart phones. SMS technology is also not limited to the
use of phones. Computers are easily equipped to very cheaply send, receive and manage
SMS messages on an established Kenyan-wide network. The article expands on the lack
of infrastructure such as poor postal systems, roads, lack of electricity and limited
bandwidth availability. The challenges are offset by an established acceptance and wide
spread use of cell phones and solar electricity to maintain them.
In 2003, the Kenyan Government introduced free education while in the same
year, the World Bank offered 55M USD to support education in Kenya. The areas of
focus included teacher education, school support and a program called the School Based
Teacher Development Program. The intention of the program was to create a program of
distance learning supported by face-to-face teacher training for teachers and head
teachers at schools throughout Kenya. The article discusses the advantages of using SMS
to reach head teachers to communicate a curriculum called the “School Empowerment
Program”. The SEP is comprised of areas such as ethics, specialized learning, nutrition,
teaching and learning and how to use resources. SMS communication as suggested by the
article could support the change from didactic to discursive education, which describes
the changing to education from presentation or “top down” to teaching and learning as a
collaborative process.
Traxler and Dearden further support SMS communication through evidence that
the method is flexible, robust and well supported through non-governmental agencies.
The advantage of relying on NGO’s avoids the pitfalls of a largely corrupt system of
government.

Authors and Credentials.

John Traxler, Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Wolverhampton, United
Kingdom, John.Traxler@wlv.ac.uk

Philip Dearden, Centre for International Training and Development, University of

Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, P.N.Dearden@wlv.ac.uk

How the Information is Presented.

The article examines and presents findings of the advantages of SMS in education.
Research is presented that allows for the support of the introduction and implementation
of the technology. In order to establish need and availability, Traxler and Dearden also
researched the options affecting cell use and implementation. Specific studies examined
the primary cell providers in Kenya, namely Safricom and Celtel, their coverage and
availability in Kenya. The paper also looks at a study by Digital Link International, which
examines the use of cell phones by educators in many of the target areas of the study.
Current educational support internationally and within Kenya help establish a baseline of
needs of educational technology. Once the stakeholders, baseline and contributors are
presented, the paper builds an argument for the use of SMS technology.

Who Should Read This and Why.

Educators who are looking for an established and very low-tech method of
communicating to a large audience for little cost would benefit from this article. The
article suggests the use of SMS in Kenya although the same method would be very
effective in other African countries.

Is This a Valuable Article?

This article looks past the conventional solutions of communicating ideas, which
rely on bandwidth, and technology that is not available in developing countries in Africa.
It is valuable because it presents an option to use a technology that is already common
and widespread rather than relying on new and often unavailable technologies. The
article also suggests a program that is not just didactic in nature and is focused on
teaching more than traditional academic curriculum.